Mixing and dispersing apparatus



Oct. 28, 1958 L. HALE MIXING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed July 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Loren Hale INVENTOR.

Oct. 2 1958 L. HALE I 3 MIXING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed July 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheen 2 Fig.

Laren Hale INVENTOR.

BY ma Attorneys @ct. 28, 1958 L. HALE MIXING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed July 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Mm Hale United States Patent 2,858,116 MIXING AND DISPERSING APPARATUS Loren Hale, Turley, Okla. Application July 12, 1955, Serial No. 521,509

Claims. (Cl. 259-7) The present invention relates to an apparatus for. mixing and spraying or shooting refractory materials, insulation materials, mortars, plastics and other similar materials and aggregates, this application being a continuationin-part of my copending application, Serial No. 249,913, filed October 5,. 1951, now abandoned".

The present invention comprises. a mixing drum ortank with a liquid inlet port for initially supplying the tank with a liquid, a material opening. for supplying the refractory or other material to the tank to be mixed with the liquid, power driven agitating blades within the tank for mixing the material and the liquid in the. tank, mixed material outlet means leading from. the tank and fluid inlet means for pressurizing the interior of the tank. to force the mixed material out through the material outlet port or other connection.

It is an important object of the invention in the provision of a refractory mixing apparatus whereihthe density of the wet mixed refractory or other material may be closely controlled in the mixing chamber of the apparatus.

Another important object of the invention is in the provision of a mixing device for lightweight, wet mixed aggregates wherein the rebound loss incurred upon spraying the mixed material upon the target area is ordinarily less than 5%, the apparatus causing the sprayedmaterial to stick to the target area and the material particles to stick to one another through the premixing within the mixing chamber of the device.

Another object of the invention is in the'provision of a mixing apparatus for. wet mix refractory material's;

wherein the materialsmay be mixed within; the apparatus" under relatively high pressures, therebyfacilitating the formation of a uniform slurry or a uniform density mixed" aggregate. with this density being maintained both in the mixing and spray application of the material to the target area;

A still further object of the invention is in themevision of a refractory mixing apparatus which may be easily cleaned, maintained, inspected and repaired;

These together with other objects andadvantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the ac companying drawings forming a. part.hereof, wherein like.

numerals refer to like parts throughout',,and 1in which: Figure 1 is a top view of thelmaterialmixing andzspraying. apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a back end view of the'mixingapparatus; Figure 3 is. a front end view of the mixing apparatus; Figure 4- is a. longitudinal viewof the mixing apparatus taken substantially along the. planev of section. line 4-4 of Figure 1; i

Figure 5 is a transverse. cross-sectional. view of the mixing apparatus taken substantially along; the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view in cross-section of the bearing body of the mixing blade shaft in one.end of the mixing tank of the apparatus.

2,858,1 l6 Patented Oct. 28, 1958 Referring now to the drawings in detail, the material mixing and spraying apparatus constituting the invention is designated in its entirety by the numeral 10. The apparatus 10 includes an elongated, cylindrical, pressure vat or tank 12 comprising a cylindrical longitudinal wall 19 and end walls 56 and 58. To one end of the vat or tank is attached a suitable motor mounting housing or skirt 14, the skirt and tank being rollingly supported on supporting wheels 16. Tongue 18 extending from the forward end of the apparatus, adjacent to and below the free end of the skirt 14, serves as a handle to move the apparatus from place to place.

From the back end of the machine extends a material conducting hose 20- and a flexible pneumatic or other inert fluid conducting hose 22 both of which terminate or open into a spray nozzle or gun assembly 24.

Referring now to Figures 46 particularly, theconstruction of the pressure vat or tank 12 and the utility for the skirt arrangement 14 will become apparent.

The top of the tank 12 centrally of or midway between the ends thereof is provided with an opening 26 surrounded by an upstanding sleeve 28 welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the tank 12. An annular reinforcing pad 30 is welded to the top of the tank Hand to the sleeve 28 to securely retain the same in place and to protect the tank against splitting when the interior thereofis pressurized.

To the inner surface of the sleeve 28is preferably attached a ring 32 which carries a grate 34 which, in turn, carries ascreen 36, so that charge material dumped into the opening 26 may be effectively graded within the size range desired for the particular material being mixed. Of course, the grate 34 and screen 36when provided, are removable. Cover plate 38 normally closes the opening 26 by sealingly engaging the upper edge of the sleeve 28.

To provide such sealing engagement, the outer surface of the sleeve 28 is preferably provided with suitable mounting brackets 40 pivotally carrying -C-clamps 42 which swing to a position with one leg 44 thereof overlying the cover plate 38. Each leg 44 of the c-clamps 42 are provided with threaded bores therethrough and thumb screws 46 threaded through the bores engage the top of the cover. plate 38 at spaced intervals therearound and press this cover plate toward the upper edge of the sleeve 28. Suitable sealing ring 48 is compressed'between the cover plate 38 and the upper edge of the sleeve 28 when the thumb screws 46 are tightened.

Opening centrally into the cover plate 38 is one end of an upwardly extending conduit 50. The conduit 50 is provided with a suitable valve 52 which constitutes a bleeder valve for bleeding olf pressure from the interior of the vat 12. Obviously, to load the apparatus with material, it is only necessary to remove the cover plate 38 and dump the requisite amount of material into the interior of the vat or tank 12.

Extending axially through the tank'or vat 12 is a driveor agitator shaft 54, theforward and rearward endp'ortions of which extend through the front'and rear walls 56 and 58, respectively, of the tank 12.

To sealingly, rotatably journal the shaft 54 through the front and rear end walls 56 and 58 of the tank, the packing and lubricating assembly of Figure 6, designated by the numeral 59 is preferably provided. As will be noted in this figure, the central portion of the end wall 56 is provided with a thickened studding flange 60 having a central aperture 62 therethrough carrying a packing gland 64 through which the shaft 54 extends. Studs 66 secure the packing gland body 64 to the studding flange 60. The body of the gland 64 is provided with a suitable lubricating passage 68 therethrough, the entrance to the passage being normally closed by a suitable grease fitting 70. Within the sleeved portion of the packing gland 64 is a packing gland bushing or bearing 72 which holds the packing 74 and packing ring 76 in place, the portion of the bushing 72 between the packing 74 and the packing ring 76 being, of course, separable from the remainder of the bushing 72 and being provided with a lubrication passage 78 in communication with the lubrication passage 68. I

To secure the gland bushing 72 in place, shaft 54 is surrounded by packing gland flange 80 which is, in turn, fastened to the packing gland body 64 through the medium of studs 82. It has been found that this sealing means is exceedingly eflicient and durable, no leakage developing around the seals even during continued augering of material toward the ends of the pressurized tank.

As will be noted in Figure 4, the skirt 14 is preferably provided on the interior thereof with a transverse supporting bar 86 thereacross which mounts a journal bearing 88 through which the forward end portion of the shaft 54 is journaled, the forward end portion of this shaft being received within a speed reducer 90 driven through the medium of a driven shaft 92 and three-belt pulley wheel 94 which is in turn operatively connected to three-belt pulley wheel 96 on the drive shaft 98 of a suitable driving motor 100 which may be gasoline or electric. When the motor is electric, as shown, a starter box 102 is provided in operative connection with the motor wiring (not shown) through the shield cable 104.

To operatively connect the three-belt pulley wheels 94 and 96, three endless V-belts or the like 106 are provided, the runs of which extend through an opening 110 in the skirt 14 so that communication is established with the motor 100 mounted on top of the skirt.

Extending from the electric starter box 102 is cable 108 which leads to the plant electrical supply. Electrical push-button switch 111 is provided with start and stop buttons 112 and 114 to selectively drive or stop the rotation of the shaft 54 through the tank 12.

The rear end portion of the shaft 54 extends into a bearing skirt or housing 116 attached to the back wall or back end wall 58 of the tank 12. Extending transversely across the bearing housing 116 a support bar 118 is preferably provided which carries a journal bearing 120 and rotatably journals the rearward end of the shaft 54 therein.

Mounted on the shaft 54 for rotation therewith within the tank 12 is a suitable agitating means 122 in the form of a pair of longitudinally extending helical blades 124 disposed at diametrically opposite sides of the shaft and spaced therefrom. These helical blades are attached at their ends to the outer ends of paddle blades 126 attached to the portions of the shaft 54 within the tank adjacent the end walls 56 and 58. Hubs 130, comprising split collars 128 which are internally keyed onto the shaft 54, rigidly carry the inner ends of the paddle blades 126. The helical blades 124 are maintained in a constant spaced relationship with the longitudinal wall 19 of tank as will be noted from the drawings, while paddle blades 126 also maintain this relation, each paddle blade 1226 serving, in addition, as an extension of the helical pattern of the helical blades.

It is preferred to detachably connect the end portions of helical blades 124 to the outer ends of the paddle blades 126 by bolts 127 and to detachably connect the paddle blades 126 to the shaft 54, by bolts 125 extending through flanges 129 of the split collars 128 of hubs 130. In this way the agitating means 122 may be applied to the shaft 54 after fabrication of the tank since the opening 26 is large enough to permit the helical blades 124 and the paddle blades 126 to be passed therethrough, and subsequently bolted in place. This also facilitates replacement of worn or broken blades and paddles.

Only two helical blades are utilized to prevent excessive churning and shaft wear when the tank is not completely filled with an aggregate to be mixed. By virtue of their helical shape, the blades 124 move the material toward one end of the tank, such as toward the end wall 58, whereby material moving back toward the other end wall 56 of the tank in the space between the blades 124 and the shaft 54, sets up turbulent flow both circumferentially and longitudinally within the tank. Not only does this turbulent flow assure complete mixing of the aggregate with the water in the machine, but positively cooperates with the helical blades to prevent any caking of the aggregate on the inner shell of the tank.

Further, the blades assure complete emptying of the tank with no change in density of the product from start to finish in the mixing operation since, in the example shown, the paddle blades 126 adjacent to the end wall 58 successively sweep past the outlet 152, the helical blades 124 guiding the material toward wall 58.

Toward the back end thereof and opening into the top of tank 12 is a fluid inlet nipple 132 connected by means of the T-head 134 to a pneumatic or air line 136 and the liquid or water line 138. Liquid line 138 is in communication with a water meter 140, the water meter being provided with a suitable water registering device 142 which may be reset to zero position as desired.

The free end of the liquid line 138 will be attached to a suitable water supply. Valve 146 in the fluid line 138 between nipple 132 and the water meter controls the communication of the nippled opening 132 with the liquid line 138. A similar valve 148 is provided on the air line 136, the free end of the air line being adapted to be connected to a suitable air compressor or the like. A gauge 150 is provided on the air line for gauging the air pressure within the tank 12.

To discharge mixed material from the tank, the tank is provided at the bottom' thereof in the back wall 58 with a material outlet opening 152 which receives one end of a short connecting nipple or conduit 154 provided with a suitable shut-off valve 156 whereby the material outlet opening 152 may be opened and closed as desired.

To charge the tank, the material outlet valve 156 is first closed. The vat cover, 38 is removed by loosening the setscrews 46, being certain before the removal thereof that the bleeder valve 52 has been opened and the excess pressure released from within the tank.

First, the water meter register 142 is set at zero, and the water valve 146 is turned to open position. The water is then coursed into the tank and the water meter checked carefully as the water enters the tank 12 through the fluid inlet 132 to assure the correct amount of water for the amount and type of solid material or aggregate to be mixed therewith in the tank. When the desired quantity of water is in the tank, as indicated by the water meter register, the water valve 146 is shut off. Then, the correct amount of aggregate or other solid material to be mixed is dumped into the tank through the grate 34 and/or screen 36.

The air valve 148 is opened, after the cover 38 has been properly replaced, and air under pressure admitted to the tank through the fluid inlet port 132 until the desired vat pressure is reached, as indicated by the gauge 150. When the pressure desired is obtained, the pressure regulator 149, having previously been adjusted, holds the pressure constant within the tank during the completion of the mixing cycle.

For convenience, the motor 100 is usually energized before any air under pressure is added to the tank. Thus, when the tank is pressurized, the material is already wet mixed to a very great degree, the pressurizing serving to mix the charge into a generally homogeneous slurry of approximately the same density throughout, a factor which is exceedingly important in the correct and beneficial operation of the apparatus.

When the desired pressure has been built up within the tank, the material. outlet valve 156 is opened and the material, now wet mixed into a suitable slurry, passes through the line 20 to the spraying gun or nozzle 24, the motor remaining energized to assist feeding of the slurry through the line 20.

The spraying gun or nozzle 24 may be of any suitable type, preferably utilizing air under pressure, which may be delivered to the gun through a line 22, to augment discharge of the mixed material from the gun and to carry 1t to the target. Guns of this general character are broadly old in the art, such as in Brown, 1,670,677, May 22, 1928.

The entire apparatus is extremely versatile and easily portable from place to place by virtue of its easy mobility by virtue of the supporting wheels 16.

The apparatus has been exceedingly effective in handling all types of refractory materials, including castably refractory materials which can be conveyed from the machine rather than sprayed to pour in place castings. Gannister mixes or Bessemer furnaces have also been effectively mixed and applied with this apparatus.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An apparatus for wet mixing aggregate materials under pressure comprising a pressure tank, means for introducing aggregate materials, water and pressurizing fluid into the tank, means within said tank for mixing the aggregate materials and water within the tank, a wet mix outlet port in said tank, valve means normally closing said outlet port, said mixing means including a shaft extending axially through said tank, means sealingly rotatably journaling said shaft through the end walls of said tank, and means carried by said tank exteriorly thereof rotatably supporting said shaft, said journaling means comprising a housing surrounding said shaft adjacent each end wall and opening exteriorly of the tank, means attaching the housing to the tank, packing in said housing, a sleeve on said shaft telescoping into each housing to compress the packing therein, means exteriorly of said tank connecting said sleeve and said housing to position said sleeve relative to said housing, radially extending agitator blades mounted on said shaft adjacent the ends of said tank, and helical blades extending lengthwise of said shaft and having their ends attached to the free ends of said agitator blades.

2. In apparatus for mixing, pressurizing and dispensing plastic material, the combination of a horizontally disposed elongated tank, provided with inlets for the material to be mixed, and for fluid under pressure, and an outlet for the mixed material, said tank comprising a cylindrical longitudinal wall and end walls; a drive shaft in said tank coaxial therewith and extending at least from end wall to end wall thereof; a pair of helical blades in said tank extending longitudinally thereof and disposed at diametrically opposite sides of said shaft, adjacent to the inner surface of said longitudinal wall and spaced from said shaft; and two pairs of companion paddle blades in said tank, connected with said shaft for rotation therewith, one pair adjacent to one of said end Walls and the other pair adjacent to the other of said end walls the paddles of each pair extending in diametrically opposite directions with respect to said shaft and having their outer ends adjacent to the inner surface of said longitudinal wall, said helical blades having their end portions connected to the outer ends of said paddle blades, and the latter shaped to constitute an extension of the helical pattern of said helical blades.

3. In apparatus as specified in claim 2 in which said outlet is at a lower end portion of the tank and the paddle blades of one of the pairs of paddle blades sweep past said outlet as said drive shaft is rotated.

4. In apparatus as specified in claim 2 in which said inlet for material to be mixed is located at the upper central portion of said cylindrical longitudinal wall, said helical blades are detachably connected with said paddle blades, and the latter are detachably connected with said shaft.

5. In apparatus for mixing, pressurizing and dispensing plastic material, the combination of a horizontally disposed elongated tank, provided with inlets for the material to be mixed and for fluid under pressure, and an outlet for the mixed material, said tank comprising a cylindrical longitudinal wall and end Walls; a drive shaft coaxial with said tank and extending through at least one of said end walls into the tank; a helical blade in said tank extending longitudinally thereof and disposed in spaced relation to said shaft at one side thereof and in close proximity to the inner side of said longitudinal wall; and a paddle blade in said tank, connected with said shaft for rotation therewith, disposed adjacent to one of said end walls, said paddle blade extending radially from said shaft and having its outer end adjacent to the inner surface of said longitudinal wall, said helical blade having its one end portion connected to said paddle blade, and the latter shaped to constitute: an extension of the helical pattern of said helical blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 577,522 Wallwork et al Feb. 23, 1897 659,066 Irmiger et a1. Oct. 2, 1900 958,421 McIlvrid May 17, 1910 1,857,084 Goetz May 3, 1932 1,941,808 McConnaughay Jan. 2, 1934 2,092,992 Thalman Sept. 14, 1937 2,350,448 Collins June 6, 1944 2,470,718 Peeps May 17, 1949 2,475,000 Beach July 5, 1949 2,668,693 Gard Feb. 9, 1954 2,698,742 McCoy Jan. 4, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CQRRECTION Patent Nob 2,858,116 October 28, 1958 Koren It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Lettere Patent should read as oorreetecl belowo In the heading to the printed, speeifieation, line 2, title of invention, for "MIXING AND DISPERSING- APPARATUS read. m MIXING AND DL' PENSING APPARATUS Signed and, sealed this 13th day of January 1959a (SEAL) Attest:

KARL HQ AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

